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M. C. Lewis (Trinity University), G. R. Stewart (Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics)
We present the results of high resolution, fully collisional simulations of a narrow ring perturbed by a small nearby satellite over multiple synodic periods. In these simulations we see the formation of ringlets at the first order Lindblad resonance locations. The resonances are so closely spaced that these ringlets begin to interact in only a few synodic periods and merge. Ringlets are maintained outside of the resonance locations by a negative diffusion process like that seen in some of our previous simulations of the edge of the Encke gap. We predict that narrow rings should not always be expected to lie at resonances. We will also show how being located at the midpoint between two resonant locations can split the core of a narrow ring. These features are similar to observed time-dependent structures in Saturn's F ring.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: mlewis@trinity.edu